Uponawaking，andstretchingforthanarm，Ifoundbesidemealoafandapitcherwithwater。Iwastoomuchexhaustedtoreflectuponthiscircumstance，butateanddrankwithavidity。Shortlyafterward，Iresumedmytouraroundtheprison，andwithmuchtoilcameatlastuponthefragmentoftheserge。UptotheperiodwhenIfellIhadcountedfifty-twopaces，anduponresumingmywalk，Ihadcountedforty-eightmore；whenIarrivedattherag。Therewereinall，then，ahundredpaces；and，admittingtwopacestotheyard，I

　　presumedthedungeontobefiftyyardsincircuit。Ihadmet，however，withmanyanglesinthewall，andthusIcouldformnoguessattheshapeofthevault；forvaultIcouldnothelpsupposingittobe。

　　Ihadlittleobjectcertainlynohopetheseresearches；butavaguecuriositypromptedmetocontinuethem。Quittingthewall，I

　　resolvedtocrosstheareaoftheenclosure。AtfirstIproceededwithextremecaution，forthefloor，althoughseeminglyofsolidmaterial，wastreacherouswithslime。Atlength，however，Itookcourage，anddidnothesitatetostepfirmly；endeavoringtocrossinasdirectalineaspossible。Ihadadvancedsometenortwelvepacesinthismanner，whentheremnantofthetornhemofmyrobebecameentangledbetweenmylegs。Isteppedonit，andfellviolentlyonmyface。

　　Intheconfusionattendingmyfall，Ididnotimmediatelyapprehendasomewhatstartlingcircumstance，whichyet，inafewsecondsafterward，andwhileIstilllayprostrate，arrestedmyattention。Itwasthismychinrestedupontheflooroftheprison，butmylipsandtheupperportionofmyhead，althoughseeminglyatalesselevationthanthechin，touchednothing。Atthesametimemyforeheadseemedbathedinaclammyvapor，andthepeculiarsmellofdecayedfungusarosetomynostrils。Iputforwardmyarm，andshudderedtofindthatIhadfallenattheverybrinkofacircularpit，whoseextent，ofcourse，Ihadnomeansofascertainingatthemoment。Gropingaboutthemasonryjustbelowthemargin，Isucceededindislodgingasmallfragment，andletitfallintotheabyss。FormanysecondsIhearkenedtoitsreverberationsasitdashedagainstthesidesofthechasminitsdescent；atlengththerewasasullenplungeintowater，succeededbyloudechoes。Atthesamemomenttherecameasoundresemblingthequickopening，andasrapidclosingofadooroverhead，whileafaintgleamoflightflashedsuddenlythroughthegloom，andassuddenlyfadedaway。

......

购买会员看全站小说，或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载，搜索"The Works of Edgar Allan Poe",免费读到尾